Dance Academy
by missbrowneyes97
Summary: Ballet, jazz, hip hop, swing, salsa... every kind of dance you can imagine is taught at this wonderful academy. Join the PC as they face this new school year as ballet dancers and begin to discover their true aspirations. Detailed summary for each girl inside.
1. Chapter 1

"We should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once." -Friedrich Nietzsche

**Massie Block:** she came to Dance Academy for one reason, and that's to reach the top of her ballet class and be United State's female ballet representative in the World Dance Cup. But it's no secret that ballet dancers hold a quarrel with the hip hop dancers in the academy. Once there, her perfect ballet world clashes with a certain puppy-eyed boy's hip hop world. And suddenly, they strike a bet: Massie has to learn to dance hip hop, unless she wants her fellow ballet dancers to become the servants of the hip hop dancers. Once she begins learning, though, two unbelievable things happen. One, Derrick's brown eyes suddenly become attractive. And two... she begins to prefer hip hop over ballet.

**Claire Lyons:** she's the dreamer kind of girl who comes from a small town, with big hopes for a fairytale ending. And she thinks she'll find one with Cam Fisher. He's not just a dancer, though, but that kind of mysterious guy who sings in cafes and every girl fawns over. He's the type of guy who probably doesn't know that shy Claire exists. So she deicides to transform herself into the academy's cruel queen bee. And if you might've noticed, there's no dancing in Claire's plan. Will she be able to keep her scholarship? And what if an incident will keep her away from dancing... _forever_?

**Kristen Gregory:** having started ballet class late (just two years before), she was surprised when she was awarded a scholarship to Dance Academy. To add to her surprise, she's in talks to star in the academy's Christmas presentation, which will develop from the idea of a ballerina falling in love with a swing dancer. And even though her possible co-star is Todd Lyons, Claire's older, cute, and funny brother, she's got her eyes out for none other than Cam. But that's not her main problem. Her mother's dislike for ballet is! If she doesn't want to join a special law program the following year, she'll have to shine in the Christmas presentation. Oh, and let's not forget he- well, let's leave that for later.

**Alicia Rivera:** doesn't even know why she's at Dance Academy. She wants to be a model, after all. But her mother wants her to follow her ballet steps. After all, Leesh is the daughter of _the_ Nadia Rivera, just the most famous ballerina in the world. So, after getting a job as a model for a brand new fashion brand, she will lead a Hannah Montana-esque life. At day, she will dance. At night, she will model. But after her boss enrolls in a fashion walk-off competition, she's going to have to decide. It _is_ exhausting to dance and model without any kind of break, after all. That plus her boss's player of a cousin, Kemp (who she has a crush on), might be too much of a heavy burden for Alicia, who's used to getting everything by just a snap of her fingers.

**Dylan Marvil:** all her life has been planned out by herself. She will become a ballet teacher, who will earn money by writing books. After all, writing is her passion (after ballet, of course). However, Josh Hotz was not part of her plan. To stop the rivarly between the ballet, the hip hop, and the jazz dancers, Dylan is faced to tutor the bully. What she didn't expect is to have him fall for her. And being the clueless girl she is, she will not find out until he's very much head over heels for the redhead. But his actions toward other students have her convinced that he's a complete jerk. However, for some reason, her mother (who's the academy's principal), somehow wants Josh and Dylan to happen...

* * *

**Hey guys! I just wanted to say that this fanfic was inspired by the wonderful series, Dance Academy! I will not exactly follow any of Dance Academy's characters' storyline, though. I might take some elements, but they'll be different :) **

**Well, hopefully you'll give this a shot! This is completely AU, if you haven't noticed. Until next time :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Perfection takes the form of Massie Block.**

"...those are the rules to be my roomie, got it?" I murmured, as I twisted my glossy hair into a ballerina bun. I turned to look at the blonde girl behind me. "If you follow those rules, we'll be perfect roommates."

The blonde, Kristen Gregory, nodded. "I'll try my best."

"You won't try your best," I clarified. "You will do your best, or I'll kick you out. It has happened before, and it won't stop happening. My dad donates millions to this academy, and the only way they can repay him for that is to give me the best services. So don't think they'll doubt it when I order them to change you."

Other girls would look uneasy at this point. Others would look mad. But to my surprise, Kristen smiled. She did a military salute. "Aye, aye, captain!"

I turned around so she wouldn't see my small smile. "It surprises me that you aren't going to that party... most new girls do so to fit in. Which is pathetic, by the way. People won't fit in unless I accept them."

Kristen shrugged, hugging her pillow close to her. "I heard that the welcoming party is against the rules. Plus, I want to sleep well for my practice tomorrow."

I nodded with approval. "Good thinking. I tolerate girls who are dedicated. But then again, you have to be. You could only enroll here because of a scholarship, right?"

"Yes," Kristen answered.

Someone knocked on the door.

"Go! Unlike your lazy and careless butts, I don't want to waste my time in useless parties!" I exclaimed, sternly.

"It's Leesh."

I sighed. "I won't go, Alicia."

"What about the new girl?" my best friend asked. She tried to open the door. "Let me in!"

"No!" I sternly answered, frowning. "Kristen doesn't want to go, anyways."

"Ugh, don't tell me she is just as boring as you," Alicia begged.

"I'm not boring," I told her. "I'm smart and dedicated. Now, please go. It's time for my cardio session."

"Fine," Alicia's voice rang out, before I heard the _click clocks_ of her high heels as she walked away.

Kristen looked out the window, where we could see the herd of eleventh graders walking out in their party outfits, ready to meet up with the other grades and dance the night away. "I'm surprised you are not going."

I raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"I thought popular girls never missed a party," she answered.

"Here at Dance Academy," I explained. "Only EWs go to parties."

"EWs?" Kristen asked.

"Eternal Wannabes," I told her. "They think they'll impress me by going to those against-the-rules party, when all they manage to do is make me laugh at them when they have to do an extra set of push-ups tomorrow as punishment."

Kristen cracked a smile. "Uh... that's a nice way of thinking."

"It's the truth," I said, retrieving my jumping rope. "I'm the best ballerina, therefore the queen of the school. Now, since I don't dislike you like those airhead party animals, I'll give you a tip. As you know, there are two tests in this academy. The midterm, and the final. They probably told you that you shouldn't worry much about the midterm, that its results are just to help you out in the areas you've got to perform better in for the finals."

"Yes," Kristen said.

"Well, it's in part true, but for the scholarship kids, it isn't," I continued. "They always say that to see if you guys will still do your best. If you do a mediocre job at the midterms, but a good job at the finals, they'll reduce your full scholarship to a half scholarship. Many scholarship kids are surprised when that happens. However, if you do a very good job at both midterms and finals, you'll find yourself keeping a full scholarship."

Kristen nodded. "I see..."

I set my timer to one minute, and began jumping. "Now, they also take into consideration your attitude and your effort. Not just for scholarship kids, but for everybody as well. Many idiots still don't get that, but us, the observant ones, already figured out a lot of the grading techniques. Most of the airheads only set their best behavior in the midterm week, since that's apparently the only week in which they grade your discipline, technique and that sort of things. But discipline is actually being graded since the very first minute you arrive here. All those kids who went to the party, after being busted, will have a point less. Us? We have a perfect one hundred right now."

Kristen smiled. "That's nice to know."

"I know," I said, trying to not sound out of breath. It was quite surprising how welcoming I was being with Kristen. Usually, I'm only this outgoing with Alicia, and occasionally with the girl next door, Dylan Marvil. I guess I enjoy talking to hard-working girls like Kristen appears to be. Of course, I'll still have to observe her in practice lessons. I can't be seen hanging around with a girl who sucks at ballet. But if she keeps this behavior up, she might as well be invited to join Alicia and I at lunch. I'm also considering the Marvil girl, but she didn't get more than 95% on last year's finals, so we'll have to see this year.

My timer beeped. I exhaled, and opened the door. I like Kristen, and I would hate it for her to get corrupted by idiots like Olivia Ryan and such. So I'll give her an in and out list. "Come on, I'll explain some things to you."

Kristen happily jumped off the bed, and followed me outside.

I pointed to the door next to ours. "Here's where Alicia Rivera and Dylan Marvil stay. Those girls, I approve of them. You should be taking notes of this..."

Kristen laughed, but after seeing my serious expression, her smile faltered. "Don't worry, I'll remember this."

"Fine, but have in mind that I don't repeat what I say," I told her. "Alicia is my best friend in the entire academy. She tries to hide it, but I know she doesn't really like ballet. She's only in it because of her mother-"

"Nadia Rivera?" Kristen asked, her eyes sparkling.

"Yes-"

"Oh my God, I knew it!" she exclaimed, nearly squealing. "I'm a huge fan of hers! If it weren't for her, I would've never-"

I raised an eyebrow, which silenced her.

"Thank you," I said. "Now, back to what I was saying. She's only a ballerina because of her mother, but she's good, the opposite of a hypocrite, and enjoys complimenting me, so she's my friend. Dylan... well, she's in talks of joining Alicia and I. She's funny, the principal's daughter, and she didn't attend the party. However, she got a 91% on the finals. So I'll have to see about that."

"You really do take into consideration their ballet level, don't you?" Kristen asked.

I nodded. "What would you think if the best ballerina hanged out with the worst?"

"Hmm... I don't kno-"

"Exactly," I cut in. "So I'm very meticulous with that factor. Now, let's continue my tour. In front of us, there's Claire Lyars or something like that. She's an eternal EW: attends parties, gets distracted in practice, and cares too much about romantic stuff. It was no surprise when her scholarship was reduced to half last year."

"She also has a scholarship?" Kristen asked, her eyes brightening.

"Yeah, but don't raise your hopes up. She's not worthy of hanging out with dedicated girls," I replied. "Also in her room, we've got Layne Abeley. I don't really have much to say about her, just that she's a freak and great friends with Claire. She helps her out with Cam and stuff like that."

"Cam?" Kristen asked.

"Some dancer in eleventh, too," I told her. "I'll get into details about boys after I finish off my tour."

I continued explaining the girls of the school, giving her my 'in' and 'out' list. I also briefly mentioned the seniors who were worthy, such as Skye Hamilton and such.

"However, never, _ever_ hang out with Kori Geddman," I warned her.

Kristen tilted her head in curiosity.

"She's one of the populars... for all the wrong reasons," I continued. "She's a senior, and tries to kick me out of my throne. But her lack of ballet skills prevent her from doing so. There's also the fact that she's got some bad habits."

Kristen nodded, understanding what I meant.

"Just, don't waste your time with her," I said, not wanting to get into detail. "Now, on to the boys. You probably saw the building next to ours, even though you arrived at night. Well, that's the eleventh grader's boys' dorms. Look, I suggest you don't focus on them. The only eleventh grade boys who are worth it are... hmm, Chris Plovert, definitely. That Cam kid I mentioned earlier? He's good, but besides the fact that every girl is in love with him, he's a singer. And thanks to that, doesn't really focus on ballet much. He's also too darn romantic. He'd be a distraction for your dance practices. Chris, on the other hand, he respects it. And that's because he also aspires to be the best. If you want someone who'll encourage you to practice and support you, Chris would be perfect. In fact... I think you'd make a nice couple..."

"Yeah, I'm not looking for a boyfriend right now," Kristen told me, slightly smiling.

"Have you ever had a boyfriend before?" I questioned.

Kristen bit her lower lip, looking down. "Not really..."

"That's good! It means that you're not a stupid girl who wastes her time on boys," I replied, approvingly. "I like that."

Kristen seemed surprised.

"But is it true that you joined ballet when you were in ninth grade grade?" I asked.

"Yeah," Kristen answered, quieter.

I looked at her up and down. For Kristen to have gotten a scholarship after just two years of ballet must mean she's good. A possible rival. If I want to keep the spot, I can't let her be as good as me. Excellent is okay, but I'm the only one who can be called outstanding. And what better way to keep her at an 'excellent' level than to train her? Besides, she doesn't really look like a contender if she ever realizes that I don't want her to excel. She looks like the type of girl who's just looking to be the best she can, not the top of the chain. "I'll help you out, then."

"Really?" Kristen asked.

I nodded.

"That'd be awesome," she answered. "I'm still working on my pointe technique, if you want to know..."

"I'm an expert on that," I revealed.

Kristen grinned.

We were in the building's living room, close to the door. So that's why we jumped once we heard it burst open.

I was even more surprised when Derrick Harrington walked in, glaring at Cam Fisher. If looks could kill, both would already be incinerated.

"No boys allowed here after seven p.m.!" I exclaimed, pointing at the clock.

And that's when I noticed Cam's bloodied nose and Derrick's bruised eye. A crowd had gathered around us, and I noticed that some hip hop students were among the crowd.

"What's going on?" I questioned, crossing my arms.


	3. Chapter 3

**Debuting... Kristen Gregory!**

I silently gasped at the guy with the bloodied nose in front of me. With the glares he was shooting at the other boy, he didn't look like the nice guy I'd met back at the airport who helped me with my bags.

Yes, I'd met Cam Fisher before. And I've gotta admit that I know why there's probably a Cam fan-club, since I'd be the president if the opportunity ever came. This guy is handsome, nice, and has the most gorgeous smile I've ever seen.

"What's going on?" Massie asked, crossing her arms.

I patiently waited for them to respond, but they remained scowling at each other. The girls who had stayed behind, some redhead and a short blonde, began to climb down the stairs.

"Derrick?" the blonde gasped. "What happened?"

The puppy-eyed boy, Derrick, looked away.

Cam's glare deepened. "What? You aren't going to tell your little sister how you punched me out of the blue?"

"You were insulting me," Derrick spat.

"I was telling you the truth: that you're an idiot! Just because Alicia dances ballet doesn't give you the right to call her an 'airhead with no future'," Cam growled.

Massie perked up at this. "What?"

I could feel the tension between them, which made me uncomfortable. It seemed as if they were going to lash out at each other.

Massie frowned. "Go look for another place to fight, I don't even know why you came here-"

"I came here to strike a bet with you," Derrick smirked, eyeing Massie up and down. "Prove to me that Cam is not a jerky _chicken_, and I'll give you the opportunity to kiss me."

Remember my previous fear of them lashing out at each other? Well, it happened.

I jumped as Cam dived on top of Derrick, both of them somehow rolling to the backyard. Derrick's sister and the redheaded girl, who I later learned were Sammi and Dylan respectively, ran down the stairs and jumped outside. Massie and I were too afraid to go outside like the other students, but we could hear the grunts and punches thrown at each other. I could spot two guys, a light brown-haired one and a redhead, trying to pull the boys away from each other. But I guess their anger made them stronger, because as far as I knew, they were still glued to each other. I could see the crowd's expressions. Some seemed astonished and shocked, others were cheering it on. Among those, there was a tough-looking boys with olive-colored skin, who was smiling.

I could see Sammi crying. "You guys are going to kill each other! Please, stop!"

She was trying to jump in and do something, but I could tell she was too scared to do so.

Massie glanced at the clock, pale. She gasped out, "Why isn't Head Burns coming?"

I spotted a glass of water on the counter. If I didn't want to have witnessed a death in my first day of school, I had to do something. Grabbing it, I pushed my way outside and, careful not to throw it at the boys trying to pull them away, I dumped the cold water on Derrick and Cam. The sight was pretty gross. I'm not going to go into detail, but there was a lot of blood.

Derrick was frowning at me. "What in the world?!"

Cam was about to punch Derrick, taking advantage of his bewildered state, but the brown-haired boy held him back.

"Let me go, Plovert!" Cam growled, glaring at Derrick.

Massie had joined me, and she looked as if she wanted to puke at the sight of the boys' faces.

The redheaded boy looked at me gratefully before managing to pull Derrick to his feet.

"Why did you have to butt in, Todd?" Derrick grunted, scowling.

"Why did you guys nearly have to kill each other?!" an exotic-looking girl exclaimed. I recognized her voice as Alicia's, even though it didn't sound as confident as it had an hour ago.

"Because I can't stand boys who dance what girls should be dancing!" Derrick spat at Cam.

Cam's jaw tensed. "You did not just say that."

"I did. What are you going to do about it? Try to beat me up? Because a few seconds ago, I was sort of winning until blondie here cut in," Derrick replied. He turned to look at me. "What's your name?"

I crossed my arms, pressing my lips together. I simply gazed at him.

"What, can't speak?" he urged.

"She doesn't want idiots like you to know her name," Massie told him.

Derrick smirked. "And I don't want weak girls who prance around in tutus knowing my name. But, hey, what can I do?"

Massie scowled. "You jerk! Think that I'm a weak girl? You wouldn't survive half a day in ballet practice!"

"Yeah, out of embarrassment," Derrick wittily answered.

A roll of laughter swept by the crowd, most of them from whom I guessed were hip hop dancers by the way they looked at us.

"Derrick, please, stop it," Sammi begged him. She wasn't crying anymore, but her freckled cheeks were stained with tears.

"Ballet is one of the toughest sports around! We bleed, we hurt and we don't even say a peep. If you see us dancing, you'd be surprised of how much pain we might be in," Massie told him with anger. Her amber eyes were narrowed, and her delicate hands were balled into fists.

_Get him, Massie!_ I wanted to exclaim. But I just smiled at her.

"Oh, really?" Derrick asked. "Well, then... you 'tough' girls wouldn't be able to survive a day of practice in hip hop. And not because you're weak, but because ballerinas are robots. They can't really feel the music like a dancer should."

I crossed my arms. Loving ballet more than anything else, I take offense.

"What if I told you I can beat you in a hip hop dance-off with just one month of practice?" Massie continued, placing her hands on her hips.

Derrick laughed, and so did the other hip hop dancers. "What?"

"Yeah, we can strike a bet," Massie pressed the matter on. She was smirking with confidence. "I'll win, so you can choose your choice of punishment."

Derrick raised his eyebrows, smiling in amusement. "You sure are confident, Block. Well... for a month every Friday, we'll go around Westchester Mall wearing tutus, leotards and tights included, with a banner on our back saying 'ballet dancers kick hip hop dancers' butts'. And if we win... us hip hop dancers get to handpick our servant, who is going to attend us twice a week for a month." He turned to look at me. "My choice is either that blondie, Mr. Fisher or you, Block. Just to let everybody else know that when we win not to choose either of them until I've decided whom I'll be choosing."

"You've got a deal, Harrington," Massie answered, coldly.

"Good," Derrick replied. He nodded, his lips pressed together. "See you tomorrow at practice, then."

And with that, the blonde left. His hip hop followers left too, but not before glaring at us or smirking.

The tough-looking guy from before crossed his arms. "Gee, I don't know which I'm going to side with, since I hate both ballet and hip hop dancers."

"You and your stupid jazz dancers should just leave, Josh," Cam told him, glaring.

"We were about to," Josh told him, smirking. "I was just contemplating if I should finish off Derrick's job since you called us stupid."

To my surprise, a spark of fear flashed in Cam's mismatched eyes.

"Let's go, guys," Josh ordered. He left, and the other jazz dancers followed him.

Taking one glance at Cam, who was now sitting on the ground wiping blood away, I decided to quickly rush inside. Wetting a towel and filling a clean glass with water, I returned outside. Not every ballet dancer had returned from the party, but the ones who had were already heading to their rooms. Chris was kneeling down next to Cam.

"You okay, dude?" he asked. He spotted me, and smiled. "You must be the new girl, er..."

"Kristen," Cam answered for me, his eyes on the ground.

My heart skipped a bit. I smiled. "That's right."

Chris looked at Cam, surprised. "You know her?"

Cam finally looked up at me. "I helped her out with her bags back at the airport."

I tucked a strand of my straight hair behind my ear, trying to act as if him remembering me didn't mean a thing. Though, I'm sure my green eyes were as bright as a Christmas tree by now.

Chris nodded. "I see... well, welcome to Dance Academy. Where the hip hop, jazz, and ballet dancers hate each other. Hope you have a nice stay!" He patted Cam's shoulder. "I'll meet you back in our dorm."

Cam nodded, pursing his lips. Chris smiled at me before leaving.

Once Cam and I were left alone, I made my way toward him, sitting on the grass next to him. I handed him the towel. "Here."

He gazed at me before taking it and wiping off his face. He slightly smiled as I handed him the glass of water. "Thanks."

"No problem," I replied, feeling my heart beat faster when his shoulder brushed with mine.

One look at him made me know that his pride was hurt. From some comments I heard, Derrick was winning the fight. And it was quite obvious by the state of his body. Mustering all my courage, a placed my hand on his shoulder. "Are you feeling better?"

He turned to look at me, slightly smiling. "I guess..." He shook his head, chuckling bitterly. "Head Burns is going to kill me tomorrow."

I gazed at his bruised eye. "I don't think she'll want to after looking at you."

Cam grinned, nodding. "Hopefully. Head Burns turns crazy when she's angered."

I bit my lower lip, grinning. "Sort of reminds me of my ballet teacher back home."

"Must be a ballet thing," Cam replied. "Even Massie turns crazy when she is angered by the smallest things. Hopefully, you aren't that way. I'm not sure if your pretty face would look so nice all scrunched up and furious."

I giggled, trying my hardest not to blush. But I'm sure I was bright red. Cam's growing smile was a giveaway.

"You're from Pennsylvania, if I remember correctly," Cam told me.

"From Philadelphia, to be exact," I added, smiling up at him.

Cam nodded. "I'm guessing your parents must've been so proud of you getting a scholarship to a New Yorkean academy."

I shrugged. "Not really."

Cam frowned.

"In my family, dancing isn't really a thing to be serious about. It's more of a hobby," I explained. "My mom wanted me to become a lawyer, so she was pretty disappointed when I told her about my application for the scholarship."

"What about your dad? There's gotta be at least one person who supports you..."

"My dad is probably the reason why my mom hates ballet so much," I told him. "He left us for a ballerina."

Cam's smile disappeared. "Oh."

"But it's okay," I quickly added, not wanting to stir the conversation into an awkward position. "I was really little when he did, so I don't remember him well."

Cam nodded. "If either my parents would hate ballet, I don't think I would've kept on with it. What they say means the world to me."

"Yeah, I know how you feel. At first, I wanted to please my mother. But in eighth grade, after attending a ballet recital, I realized I really hated law. So I joined ballet in ninth grade," I revealed. "I know it's pretty late, but I did advance in my pointe technique faster than most, so... I mean, there's still a lot to get better at, but to have joined two years ago I guess-"

Cam chuckled, ruffling my hair. "For you to have gotten a scholarship to Dance Academy is because you must be really good at it."

I smiled.

"Kristen, I'm about to close the door to our room in one minute! If you're not here by then, I'll close the door and you'll have to bunk in with Cam, since you like talking to him so much," I heard Massie exclaim, leaning by the door.

Cam grinned and I blushed.

Massie turned around, and I spotted her climb up the stairs.

"Massie will always be the Massie I know," Cam commented.

I stood up. "I've only been here one day, and I know what you mean."

Cam jumped up to his feet, grinning. "Good luck on being her roommate."

"Thanks," I replied. "Hopefully, I'll see you tomorrow."

"You can bet on that," he informed me.

"Good night."

"Good night."

He smiled at me, and I looked down. "Bye." And with that, I turned to leave.

Once I was inside, I found myself facing a white-blonde girl with wide blue eyes, and a dear-in-the-headlights expression. "Is he gone?"

"Huh?"

"Cam," she detailed.

"He just left," I answered.

She sighed, clearly disappointed. "Alright..."

She turned around and climbed up the stairs, and I followed. I spotted her entering the dorm in which Massie had said Claire and Layne lived. I'm guessing she must be Claire... when I turned around, I found Massie looking at me, her arms crossed.

"Hey," I said.

Massie sighed. "I told you, if you wanted a boyfriend, go for Chris. You saw him. Isn't he cute?"

I looked down, rubbing my arm. "Yeah... but he seemed more like a friend."

"Look, stop finding Cam attractive," Massie warned me. "He's my friend and a nice guy, so I didn't want to tell you this before. But he has this thing of leading girls on. Remember what I said about Claire? How she's, like, obsessed with him? Well, she would've forgotten him a long time ago if it weren't for him. They talk only a few times, but whenever they do, I can tell Cam makes Claire feel as if he's interested. I know because I've been there and seen that."

I remained silent.

"I don't know if he does it because he wants to, or because that comes naturally with him," Massie continued. "But if he made you feel as if you had any chance with him... forget it. Understood?"

I bit my lower lip, nodding.

"Good," she sighed. "Now, let's go."

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**Now all the main characters have been mentioned! I think I'm only missing a couple or so. Well, thanks for your reviews last time! Hopefully, you enjoyed this chapter :) Stay tuned! Also, feel free to guess whose POV I'll write next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sweet little Claire Lyons.**

"Did going to the party with that red dress work?" Layne asked me.

Disappointedly, I shook my head. I had worn the prettiest, asymmetrical tiered red tube dress I'd found in Forever 21. I had even paid Kori Geddman so she could do my make-up the way she does hers (she always gets the boys, after all), and I'd spent hours straightening my hair. All for Cam to notice some new girl in her Pink pajamas that didn't even attend the party.

"Don't worry, I'm sure he'll notice you... someday," Layne assured me, patting my back. "But don't get your hopes up."

"Gee, thanks," I replied, flatly.

Layne just laughed and skipped ahead. She already had her tutu on, which was against the rules, and opened her locker. "Do you have Math as first period?"

I shook my head. "I chose to have ballet classes the first four hours. Last year I hated having them in the last four."

Layne shrugged. "Well, at least I'll get to see Cam-"

"He chose to have ballet practices the last four hours?" I cut in, my eyes wide.

Layne cackled, getting out her books. "No! I just wanted to see what your reaction was... which turned out to be _priceless_!"

I pressed my lips together. "I'm gonna go now."

"Oh, don't get mad-"

"Layne Abeley take off that tutu right this instant!" Mrs. Jensen sternly exclaimed, glaring at Layne. The Science teacher crossed her arms across her chest, and stared at my jet black-haired friend. "I'm going to wait until you do it." Her ice blue eyes turned to look at me. "Young lady, I understand you've got to head over to your ballet lessons."

Wordlessly, I nodded and left the eleventh grade classroom hallway. After pushing the doors at the end of it open, I stepped inside the large ballet studio. Only Massie (with that annoying smirk of hers), Dylan, Chris, and the new girl, Kristen, were warming up. The others, the ones who had attended the party, were doing a set of push-ups.

"Claire, I believe you attended the party. Get down and give me a hundred," Mrs. Meyers calmly ordered.

I nodded, and as I took off my sweater and sweatshorts, discreetly searched for Cam. I contained my smile once I spotted him. He was smiling at Dempsey Solomon, one of his best friends other than Chris. Realizing that there was an empty spot near him, I quickly headed that way and positioned myself.

"Kori says you owe her ten bucks of the twenty you promised to pay her," Olivia Ryan, who was next to me, told me. "Have it?"

I grimaced. I guess I was too worried about my first day back in school to remember that I owed the Fab Three, what we called Kori, Strawberry and Olivia's group. I whisper back, "Sorry, I forgot."

Olivia smirked. "You know what that means."

"Can't I bring it to you tomorrow?"

"You know what we do: play pranks on people, start gossip, help out with make-overs, and occasionally, find info," Olivia told me. "Whenever they forget to bring the money they owe us, we can't keep forgiving them and letting them bring it the next day. It's a cycle we don't want to get used to. So... you know what's going to happen."

I bite my lower lip. "Yeah."

"Today, once classes are over, head to Kori's room. Once there, we'll tell you on what you can assist us," Olivia explained to me.

"But isn't that against the rules?" I asked, breathless because of the push-ups.

"Well, that'll teach you to pay on time," Olivia finished.

"Olivia, Claire," Mrs. Meyers called out in a warning tone.

I remained silent for the rest of the time. From the corner of my eye, I saw Mrs. Meyers analyzing Kristen's pointe technique. I smiled. Well, that's something I beat her in. Once we were done, Mrs. Meyers ordered us to warm up. We finished, and we lined up, since we always get to change partners every year. Something about getting used to cooperating with different people. I got Chris last year. And while he was good and fun, he wasn't Cam.

"Alright, first of all, Kristen-"

"Sorry I'm late, Mrs. Meyers."

All of the girls perked up. Harris Fisher, Cam's older and graduated brother, walked in, wearing a white tank and some black sweatpants. Not loose, but not too tight, either. Harris was probably one of the most handsome boys I'd ever seen. Jet black hair, green eyes, a very friendly smile, and the perfect height.

"As you all know, Harris is going to study to become a choreographer," Mrs. Meyers began. "But he'll take a year to help me teach you so he can get used to working with several dancers at the same time."

Harris smiled, waving at everybody. "What's up, kids?"

From the corner of my eyes, I could see Cam smiling proudly. I know he admires his brother dearly.

"Kristen, you can stop doing the exercises I ordered you to do," Mrs. Meyers announced. "Please come."

Obediently, the blonde stepped forward.

"Class, this is Kristen Gregory-"

A chorus of heys and welcomes from the class interrupted Mrs. Meyers.

"She's from..."

"Philadelphia," Kristen informed her.

Mrs. Meyers smiled, her hazel eyes slightly narrowing. "Well, I hope you guys are nice to her. Being new in a boarding school where everybody already knows each other is hard. Trust me." She turned her petite body toward Harris. "Harris, this is the girl I was telling you about," Mrs. Meyers introduced the dimpled girl to the nineteen-year-old boy. "You'll be her partner-"

Cue the amused gasps and the 'lucky' whispers from girls.

"So you can help her advance in her pointe technique," Mrs. Meyers continued.

Harris bowed, old fashionably, holding her hand. "It'll be my pleasure, miss."

Some of the girls giggled.

Kristen returned the bow with a curtsy of her own.

I crossed my arms, happy. If it weren't for Harris, knowing my luck, Kristen would've definitely been partnered up with Cam.

Mrs. Meyers began listing out the partners. Olivia got Dempsey, Massie got Chris... and I got _Cam_.

I tried to contain my smile. Coolly, I stepped next to him. I wanted to scream, shout, and dance of happiness though.

"The first period of class you'll get to meet your partner, the second period boys and girls divide and we'll practice basic steps. The third, I'll show you some moves with your partner, and fourth, ballet-related drills. Understood?" Mrs. Meyers called out.

"Yes, Mrs. Meyers," we replied in unison.

"Good, now, begin talking with your partner," she told us.

I smiled at Cam, who smiled back. I still couldn't believe I'd gotten the boy of my dreams as a partner. This was definitely going to be the best year ever.

"You're Todd's younger sister, right?" he asked.

I blushed. Just the fact that he was talking to me made me feel like flying. "Y-yeah."

"He's a cool guy," Cam commented, nodding.

I noticed the bruise in Cam's lip and jaw bone. Catching me looking, he rubbed the back if his neck uncomfortably.

"It doesn't hurt much anymore," he announced. He smiled, gazing at Massie. "However, I'm sure Massie will land a punch on my face after her first hip hop practice today. She'll have to stay an extra hour in the hip hop building because of me."

"I don't think she's mad," I quietly said, not able to raise the volume of my voice because of shyness.

"Excuse me?"

"I don't think she's mad," I repeated, stronger and louder.

"You don't know Massie so well, right?" Cam asked, side-grinning.

I shook my head.

"Well, I do," he replied. He pointed at her. "I can tell you, that she's probably either bragging of how lucky Chris is to have gotten her as a partner, or how glad she is she didn't get a slacker like Dempsey."

I giggled. Until the most horrible idea hit my mind. "Do you like her?"

"What?" Cam exclaimed, his smile disappearing.

"Do you-"

"No, I heard you," he cut in, chuckling. "I just found the question sort of... unpredictable. No, I don't like her. She's cute, but I don't find her attractive in that way."

Relief flooded in me, and I wanted to hug him and thank him for saying that.

There was a loud laugh behind us. "You look funny that way!"

"Shut up."

"That sounds like Kristen," he commented.

He already recognizes her voice?

He turned around, and I turned to look at her too. Harris was pointing at Kristen's messed up bun. By the way she was smiling up at him while fixing it, it was clear he had messed it up.

I turned to look at Cam, and frowned. He was raising an eyebrow, and his eyes had visibly darkened.

I bit my lower lip. This was just like a fairytale, except that twisted. Prince Charming (Cam) was in love with the witch (Kristen), while the princess (me) just lamented. But maybe, the witch had bewitched the Prince Charming. I turned to look at Kristen, who was listening eagerly to one of Harris's tales about his trip to Spain. She was pretty. Turn up nose, green eyes, a heart-shaped face, and bow-shaped lips. Her hair was a glossy golden color, and her body was lithe and graceful. Plus, she had chest. That definitely was the 'spell'.

I looked back at him. There was only one way I could be assured he liked her. "Harris and her make a cute couple."

Cam shook his head. "He's way older."

"Two years," I detailed. "That isn't much."

"But he's her teacher," he continued. He shook his head. "Let's not talk about that, shall we? Let's talk about how adorable your nose is." He reached out an arm and gripped the tip of my nose, which made me turn as red as a tomato. He thought my nose was adorable?

Mrs. Meyers bent down next to us. "Pick a paper. This will be the activity you and your partner will have to do tomorrow morning. They are sort of like a trust test, after all, that's all that is needed in a ballet partnership."

"Alright. Clairebear, wish me luck," he said, stuffing his hand on the can in Mrs. Meyer's hands.

He called me Clairebear.

_Clairebear._

That's definitely my new IM username.

"We're handcuffed to each other for the entire period tomorrow!" Harris announced, grinning. "It'll be fun."

Cam glanced at them, the paper in his hand. Turning to look at it, he opened it up. "We are going to blindfold each other and guide our way."

"Dress up as each other?!" Dempsey exclaimed, horrified.

Cam grinned. "I'm ecstatic with what I got."

I'd rather be handcuffed to Cam (our bodies would've been closer), but I'm happy with this.

He smiled at me. "Hopefully, you aren't disappointed... I'd hate to be the cause of such a cute girl's misery."

I giggled, turning even redder. "No, I'm not."

The entire practice passed, and soon, the classes did too. Wearing my white skinny jeans, and a pretty yellow tank top, I headed over to Kori's room. Some seniors stared at me weirdly, but I still mustered up courage to not run away and stay in my way. I reached her room, and I, after hesitation, knocked.

"Come in, Lyons!" I heard Olivia exclaim.

I opened it, and to my surprise, was greeted by the smell of burnt cigarettes.

Strawberry, flipping a strand of pink hair behind her shoulder, was laughing at something Kori was telling her.

"Our servant for the night's here!" Olivia announced.

Strawberry turned to look at me. She eyed me from head to toe. "Hmm... she reminds me of me, before I became unweird and dyed my hair pink."

I bit my lower lip. I then remembered the ten bucks Layne had given me at lunch, and I took them out. Holding them in front of me, I said, "Here's what I owe you."

Olivia snatched it, smoking the cigarette in her hands. "Come in. We've got different plans for you."

Slowly, I stepped inside. Olivia shut the door behind me.

"We heard you like Cam?" Kori asked, fingering a package of cigarettes.

My blue eyes widened.

"How do we know?" Strawberry asked for me, smirking. "We've got our ways. Plus, it's pretty obvious among us girls."

Kori grinned. "You either turn red or brighten up whenever he's around."

"And we thought it'd be fun to help you out," Olivia drawled, appearing next to me.

Strawberry smiled. "Sort of like a project. We were watching Clueless yesterday, and we thought it'd be fun if we helped out a girl with potential to become part of the 'it' crowd."

"Potential?" I gasped out.

"What? Hasn't anybody told you how gorgeous you are?" Olivia asked, crossing her arms. Her eyebrows were raised.

I suddenly felt much better about myself. I shook my head. "No..."

"Trust me, with a little make-up and more fashion sense, you'll have the boys drooling," Strawberry assured me.

"Hair treatment, too," Olivia cooed, picking up a strand of my blonde hair.

"And, of course, we need to bring out your wild and confident side," Kori finished. She smiled. "I know it's inside you."

I bit my lower lip.

"It'll surely attract Cam as if you were a magnet, and he was metal," Olivia urged on.

Kori and Strawberry giggled.

I looked around. These girls looked welcoming... and positive. Unlike Layne, they actually thought I could have a chance with Cam. Plus, they thought I had potential and was gorgeous. And I'd like to discover that potential.

"Are you in?" Kori asked.

I replied rather quickly. "Yes."

Kori burnt off her cigarette. "Perfect."

"Now, to begin," Strawberry said.

Olivia smiled excitedly. "This is going to be so fun! Turning a good girl into a wild girl sounds _ah_-mazing."

"It will be. Especially with Kuh-laire," Kori said, smiling at me.

I smiled back.

"Well, I know for sure that an outfit, hair, or make-up won't look good on you unless you're confident on the inside," Strawberry stated, matter-of-factly.

Kori smirked. "Then we'll begin with bringing the wild side out of Claire."

"How?" I asked. "If you haven't noticed... I'm rather shy."

"First, you have to embrace your body," Kori replied. "Without confidence, there's no outgoing attitude. And without loving yourself, there's no confidence. So we'll go underwear dipping."

"Underwear dipping? Don't you mean skinny dipping?" Strawberry asked.

"It's Claire's first day. She'll go skinny dipping once we're sure she's completely turned into gold," Kori told her.

I gulped. "W-what?"

"Alright, so Dance Academy is located right next to a port in Harbor Island Park Beach. We just have to walk toward the freshmen building, and voila! Once there, we'll climb up the wall dividing the port from the school, and we'll jump from there," Kori explained.

I felt my face pale.

"Chill-ax," Olivia told me, wrapping an arm around me. "Once you go underwear dipping, trust me, you'll love it so much, that you'll want to be wild for your entire life."

"Besides, you have to. You're sort of our servant tonight," Strawberry reminded me, burning off her cigarette.

I sighed. Even though I was scared, I really wanted to do this. "Fine. Let's go."

"Quick_ly_!" Kori ordered us, grinning in excitement.

We exited the senior building, and headed toward the freshmen area. Once there, Kori strutted in like she owned the place. We arrived to the dorms' backyard, and Kori began climbing up the wall. Olivia and Strawberry helped me out, and once I jumped to the other side, they followed. After a few seconds of walking, we found ourselves in the wooden port. Kori immediately began to take off her clothes.

"It's been such a long while since I've done this," she told me.

Strawberry and Olivia were already in their lace underwear.

With hesitation and a deep breath, I quickly slipped out of my own clothes, wanting to be in the water already.

Kori, however, took out her phone. "Girls, line up, we're taking a picture!"

"What?" I exclaimed, horrified.

"Embrace your body," Olivia said, pronouncing slowly. "Besides, your underwear won't show up."

Kori embraced us with one arm, squishing us all together.

"Smile, girlies!" she exclaimed.

I smiled, rather shyly, and she took the picture. Once done, she showed it to us. Olivia was right. Only our heads showed up.

"Aww, you look so shy!" Strawberry announced.

Kori smirked. "Once your make-over is done, I'm sure you'll look at this picture and laugh."

Olivia grinned, and I smiled half-heartedly.

Stuffing her phone with her clothes, Kori motioned us with her hand to line up near the edge.

Kori began her countdown. "One..."

I felt nervous, anxious, and excited at the same time. The water looked dark and deep. Colder than ice, even. With the chilly September wind, I knew I'd be frozen once I reached the water. But before I knew it, Kori had already exclaimed 'three' and I had been pulled down by Olivia. We all screamed, and yes, the water was cold. But as soon as my head emerged, and I saw the academy from the ocean, I knew I had liked it.


	5. Chapter 5

**_Supermodel_ is Alicia Rivera's Middle Name**

I leaned on the wall, wondering when in the world Massie was going to walk out of hip hop classes. I glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. _5:45 p.m. _She said she'd be out by 5:30. I sighed, inspecting my denim shorts. I had a stupid tradition of always wearing shorts on the first day of school, since they usually showed off the length of my legs and impressed new hot boys. First impressions are key. But apparently, there were no new hot boys this year. Only freshmen (duh!) and a few sophomores. And I don't find it attractive to date younger men.

"Big butt, feel the music puh-lease!"

Frowning, I gazed from the window on the hip hop door. Massie was rolling her amber eyes at some big-boobed girl. My eyes darkened. It was that idiot, Nina Callas. It was obvious she wore stuffing in her bra to impress Derrick Ew-ington. And who was _she_ calling 'big butt'? Sure, Massie had a perky butt. But at least it was proportional. Unlike Nina's boobs, which made her look like she had stuffed two melons under her shirt.

Massie was doing fine for her first day. As I saw the group practice, I realized she was even better than some. But I could tell that she was feeling inferior to the rest, which surprised me. Massie is known for two things: her amazing ballet skills, and her confidence. For Massie to be feeling that way, it's because Nina Troll-as has been roughing her up.

"Alicia Rivera, this is prohibited territory."

I turned to my back, where a smiling Skye Hamilton was gazing at me.

"_Hola_, Skye!" I squealed, hugging the buttery-blonde. If it weren't for Massie, she would've definitely been my BFF. "How was my land?"

"Spain was fabulous," she told me, giggling. "I still don't understand how your mom could move out of Barcelona."

Alicia shrugged. "It's life's biggest mystery."

"True that," Skye replied in a sing-song voice.

"So, what are you doing in prohibited territory? Actually, what are you doing in the eleventh grade building?"

"I actually came looking for you," Skye told me. She smirked. "I know for a fact that you want to be a model."

I nodded. "Yeah... so?"

Skye grinned, proudly. "And you know that I'd love to be a fashion designer."

"Something that you'd definitely be successful at. I've seen your designs, they're even better than Ralph Lauren's," I complimented. "I'd def wear them."

"And you will be... if you accept my proposition."

I tilted my head, curious.

"My cousin, Kemp, has a stepsister who works as an assistant for Future Fashionistas. You know, that company that helps out aspiring fashion designers? Well, he sent some of my designs and got me a spot at their annual fashion walk-off!" Skye excitedly informed me.

"No. Way," I gasped out, my lips slowly curving into a smile.

"Yes!" Skye squealed.

I'd never seen her so excited in my entire life. Skye is usually the cool and collected Queen Bee of school, not some fangirl.

"And I want you to model for me."

My mouth dropped open. "What?"

"Process the information, 'chica'!" Skye exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. "You're going to be a model! And modeling in the fashion walk-off-"

"Opens a lot of doors," I finished, my brown eyes wide.

Now it was my turn to fangirl.

I began to squeal, and Skye squealed along.

"I'll do it!" I exclaimed, grinning widely. "Thank you, thank you, thank you so much!"

Skye shook her head, giggling. "No, thank _you_. You'll definitely make my clothes look even better than they already do!"

We began squealing again, but at that moment, Derrick Harrington and his friend walked out of the room. They stared at us weirdly, and we immediately stopped, regaining our composure. I cleared my throat, and Skye placed a hand on her hip.

Derrick shook her head. "I knew robots had to disfunction someday..."

I frowned.

"Oh-kay," Skye rang out. She turned to look at me. "Um... I've gotta go. Kemp will pick us up on Saturday so we can talk. See ya?"

"You can bet on it," I replied.

As soon as Skye left, Massie walked out, rubbing her elbow.

"It's big butt now, huh?" Derrick chuckled. He eyed her back. "I always thought it was perkier than the rest."

"I always thought you were dumber than the rest, but I'm prudent," Massie snapped back, standing straighter.

Derrick's smile disappeared.

"Now, if you'll excuse us," she said. "I've got to tend my wound. Because apparently, hip hop is for savage jerks who think that pushing girls to the ground is cool."

Derrick looked troubled. "I did not push you on purpose-"

"Don't waste your voice on lies," Massie cut in. "Is the only thing I will admit is handsome in you."

Derrick looked surprised.

I was freaked out. One day in hip hop, and she's already sort of weird.

"Oh-kay, apparently, weirdness is contagious?" I told Derrick. "So we'll be leaving before you lock her in a mental institute. Buh-bye."

I wrapped an arm around Massie, and turned her around.

"What in the world?" I whisper-hissed at her.

Massie shook her head, gulping down water. "Sorry, but Derrick turns me crazy."

My mouth dropped open.

"Not in _that_ way," Massie quickly corrected, her eyes wide. "I just saw too much of him today, and I feel... dizzy. And yes, his voice is hot. I heard two hours of it telling me what a big butt I have. And if it sounds good in insults addressed toward me, then it's because it is pretty darn hot."

"Let's get some fresh air. Are you sure you didn't hit your head in practice?" I asked, pushing the doors of the eleventh grade building open.

Once we were outside, Massie breathed in. She sighed. "Much better. Hip hop had a weird effect on me."

I raised an eyebrow. "Weird? How about _bizarre_?"

Massie smiled, shaking her head. "More than bizarre."

"Out of place?"

Massie sat on a bench nearby. She was out of her practice clothes, probably having changed right before Derrick walked out. With her classic, blue-and-white polka dot, knee-lenghth summer dress, girly flats, and her brunette curls adorned with a pretty headband, it seemed odd that she'd just walked out of _hip hop_ classes. I mean, Massie has always been classic and, well, _polished_. Hip hop is funky.

"Not really," Massie replied, surprised at her reply. "I don't really know what that feeling is... it just felt different, you know?"

"No, I don't know. And I feel like a psychologist trying to understand, so I'll just ask about that ugly wound you've got there," I answered, pointing at her right elbow. Dried blood was protecting a sort of oval-shaped scratch on it.

Massie shook her head. "Derrick, apparently, bumped into me. However, I doubt it was an accident, because it was way too strong. I fell to the floor with a loud thud."

I grimaced.

"And then Nina noticed my butt and told me how big it was, not letting me concentrate on my hip hop moves because she kept reminding me. And it annoys me because I do pilates and hard exercises to tone my butt everyday-"

"The only thing I'm jealous of is your butt," I interrupted. And I was being honest. "Mine is all flat and weirdo, it disfigures my hourglass figure. Yours adds attitude to the dance and to every clothe you wear. Trust me, I wish I had your butt. It would be perfect for modeling!"

Massie laughed.

"Besides, she probably was only saying it because she felt threatened by you."

Massie raised an eyebrow.

"I saw you dance, you were awesome. And it was just your first day," I assured her.

Massie tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, smirking. "You think so?"

I nodded. "Mass, what's wrong with you today? You're usually confident, and right now you're acting like Claire."

"I told you hip hop had a weird effect on me. I actually wanted to do it perfectly... and not because of the bet," Massie confessed.

"You're a perfectionist, it's understandable," I told her.

A loud cackle behind us distracted her. It was Derrick, who I swear I'd seen glancing at Massie before looking back at his friends.

"Alicia... is it weird that I found Derrick attractive?"

A gust of wind swept by, and I didn't even move an inch to keep my hair in place. "_What?_"

"He was dancing, in a tank top, I could see his arms -which are not bad by the way -and his eyes looked really good when they were filled with determination as he did his best-"

"No, you did not notice him. You got used to his face," I cut in, not willing to hear anymore nonsense. "I mean, look at him. Chris is definitely better-looking than him."

"Chris is better-looking that anyone else," Massie murmured, pursing her lips. She grimaced. "I don't want to find Derrick attractive!"

"Then don't, for the love of God, and return to your normal self! All whiny and insecure, that's Claire, someone we _don't_ want to be," I exclaimed.

Massie shook her head, burying her face in her hands. "Take me to the ballet studio, _now_. I actually want to keep dancing hip hop."

I immediately grabbed her arm as soon as I heard that and pulled her to the inside of the room. Until I stopped her.

"Are those Harris and Kristen?" I asked, pointing to the front.

They were sitting on a table near a café stand, sipping some frappe.

"Yeah, I heard he wanted to give her some tips on how to advance levels safely. You know, she's a bit behind?" Massie reminded me. She shook her head. "I know you like gossip, but don't begin starting it. That's for Olivia Ryan and her friends."

"And soon, they will," I informed her, motioning at a trio in the table next to Harris and Kristen. The first thing I spotted was Kori, with her long brown hair and nasally laugh, it was hard not to recognize her. She and her friends were giggling at Harris and Kristen.

"I think we should warn new girl," I mused.

"Trust me, we will once I do my ballet routine. Let's go," Massie said, pulling me by the arm.

We reached the ballet room, and as Massie turned on the stereo, I smiled, recognizing the song from her routine from last year's finals. She liked classic things, so of course, she had to choose the theme song to the Swan Lake ballet. Which she did beautifully. I smiled, proudly, at my friend. She had such a talent. I bet she could become even bigger than my mom someday soon.

My smile disappeared as I remembered mom. She'd definitely hate it if I told her about Skye's gig, even if it was a big opportunity for my dreams to be fulfilled. But, no. In our house, only _her_ dreams can come true. Everything has to go her way. I crossed my arms, my lips pursed. I know she's my mom, but does that give her the right to control my life? I thought she wished all the happiness for me. Instead, she's chaining me to something I absolutely hate. If it weren't for her crazy and strict antics, I'd definitely lowered my average grade and gotten expelled a long time ago. The worst part, is that I can't even talk to her about anything related to fashion. Fine, she doesn't want me to model. But what if I want to talk about how cute a dress is? Or how much I'd love to wear the outfit from Teen Vogue? No, she cuts me off. Fashion talks are taboo in the Rivera estate.

The song ended.

Massie was looking at me, concerned. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I was just thinking of my mom," I replied, shaking my head.

Massie smirked. "I thought you avoided thinking of your mom at all costs?"

"Yeah, but today is sort of impossible," I informed her.

"Okay, spill," she said. I noticed with relief that her voice was her usual calm tone. I guess ballet does maintain her Queen Bee attitude alive.

I told her about Skye's gig rather quickly. Normally, when I'm excited, I tend to lengthen conversations about the topics I'm happy about. But I guess my mom saddened my mood.

"That's impressive, Leesh," Massie admitted, nodding in approval. "I'm sure that with your persuasiveness, you can get your mom to accept-"

"You know her well," I said. "She's got her mind set on ballet."

Massie nodded. "You're right... but-"

"There's no way out-"

"Stop cutting me off," she interrupted, crossing her arms.

I chuckled, shaking my head. Yes, Massie had returned to normal.

"Let's just stop talking about my mom," I asked. "What about you? No more weird thoughts?"

"Zilch," Massie informed, beginning to walk out the room. "I'll just have to get used to hip hop, since it sends weird signals to my brain."

Something told me that Massie wasn't telling me something, but I decided to keep quiet. We each had our things to talk about.

"By the way, now that I think of it, I was quite good at hip hop today," Massie informed me. "And my butt's perfect. Nina was definitely jealous."

And that something also told me that she seemed to be trying to convince herself of that.


	6. Chapter 6

**Dylan Marvil is a trickster.**

"How do you do this... uh..." A sigh. "Great... no, no! Is this thing frozen now! Oh... what to do? Work, work, _work_!"

I turned to look at the blonde next to me, who looked worried as she whisper-rambled at the computer in front of her. I saw her in class earlier. She was the new girl... Krystal? Something of that sort.

She grimaced. "No, please don't tell me I lost everything."

I tried to look at what she was doing. She was typing her personal information into the computer, so she could gain access to the library. I flinched. I had to do that when I was a freshman too, and if I remember correctly, it was hard. Luckily, I had Chris Plovert to help me out. Maybe I could still remember how he did it?

"Uh... hi. Can I help you?" I whisper-asked.

She turned to look at me, and I smiled at her.

"That would be really amazing," she replied.

I stood up and walked toward her.

"It's frozen," she told me, grimacing. "I think I did something wrong..."

"I get you," I told her, pressing down random computer keys to see if the computer answered. "When I first did this, it shut off and it wouldn't come on again."

Krystal sighed. "The worst part is, this happens with every electronic device I come in contact with."

I smiled, nodding in amusement. "Same!"

She grinned. "I'm Kristen, by the way."

Kristen. Not Krystal. Oh...

I smiled. "Dylan. Dylan Marvil."

"Marvil as in Principal Marvil's-"

"Daughter?" I finished for her. "Yes... most people wouldn't be so thrilled, but I'm happy. Unlike most, I do get to see my mom in daily basis. I would die if she weren't around."

Kristen nodded. "Yeah, I've only been here one day and I already miss her."

I chuckled. "She can come and visit in the weekends. It's a new rule my mother made. She lives in Philadelphia, if I remember correctly? I think she could come here once a month."

"Yeah... she isn't really happy with me being a ballerina," she replied.

I began to click the mouse, but the computer was still frozen.

"Oh, that must be tough..." I replied.

She shook her head. "Well, at least she never tried to pull me out. She just didn't like watching me dance or hearing me talk about it."

I slightly hit the computer's side, and it unfroze.

"Gosh, you're a genius!" She exclaimed, grinning.

But the information that came up was not hers. It wasn't even the library's app. It was a Facebook page.

Josh Hotz's.

And it was logged into his account.

Kristen frowned. "Hey... I've seen that boy around."

"Josh Hotz, jazz dancer and certified bully," I said. I began to read through his messages.

Kristen's eyes widened. "What are you doing?"

"Checking out his messages," I replied. I thought I'd seen my name flash in front of me, so I scrolled back up and clicked the link to open it up. And I was right. Apparently, I was on the list of pretty-faced girls that Josh and his friend, Todd, had. I was number three.

Kristen frowned. "My name's there."

"You're number seven on his cute girls list," I said, giggling. I smirked. "Now... ooh, Massie is number four. I beat her! Would you look at that? Alicia is number one. And there's Olivia, right on the second spot." I snorted. "Layne Abeley is number five? With all that make-up and weird clothes she puts on, I've never been able to see her real skin." I scrolled down. Todd had also shared his, but none of us were there. Only some senior girls I'd never known. Alicia and Massie, of course, had made it. They were the school's prettiest girls. Not on the top three, but still. They ranked in a popular senior's list!

"What are you girls doing?"

Kristen jumped, and I remained frozen.

Chris peaked his head through the hole between us. "That's Josh's Facebook!"

I sighed, relieved. It was just Chris Plovert, one of my good friends. "Yup. He left it signed in."

Chris shook his head. "Stupid boy. Do him a favor and sign off for him."

I frowned. "Of course not! We'll have fun with this."

Kristen smiled.

Chris noticed her. "Oh, hey. Kristen, right?"

Kristen nodded. "You're Chris."

"You remember!" he announced, grinning. "How was you first day of school?"

"Great, I really enjoyed it," she replied.

As I gazed at the list, and idea settled in my mind. "Guys, I like the two of you. So let's form a trio and call it the Unstoppable Pranksterz!"

"What?" Chris blurted out.

"Because I just had the greatest idea for a prank," I continued.

"You really need to improve your witty metaphors," Chris murmured.

"Whatever," I replied, highlighting the list. I copied, and pasted it in Josh's status.

"Now way," Kristen breathed out.

"Dyl," Chris warned.

"Relax, Pranksterz!" I said, as I added a note at the end. 'Just thought you should know which girls I think are cute. Layne, this is for you, baby'. I published it, garnering a giggle from Kristen and a groan from Chris. I got out a packet of cookies from my bag. Popping one in my mouth, I offered one to Kristen, who gladly took it. Then I placed the packet in front of Chris.

He frowned. "It's prohibited to eat in the library. Besides, ballet dancers shouldn't be eating so much cookies."

"Please, that's a girl's line, not a boy's," I said, stuffing the packet in my bag. Kristen broke hers in half, and handed one piece to Chris, which he accepted gladly with a genuine smile.

I signed out from his account and resumed the library's app.

Kristen sighed, realizing her information was not there anymore. "Great."

"I can help you out, if you don't mind," Chris offered.

Kristen nodded, smiling. "That would be great. I've never been so good with all this techno stuff."

Chris chuckled. "Don't worry, I was born to handle technology."

I chuckled. "Yeah. Sadly, he was not doted with any girl skills."

Chris glared at me, and I shrugged. "It's the truth."

Chris quickly finished, and he smiled up at Kristen. "All done."

Kristen sighed, clearly relieved. "Thanks. I thought I'd spend the entire afternoon here."

Chris shook his head. "No problem. Whenever you need help with this, I'll be sure to help you."

I smiled. "I'm here, too."

Kristen laughed. "Yeah, to pull pranks on people."

"What? Weren't you laughing when I was pulling a prank on Josh?" I exclaimed.

"Excuse me?"

My smile disappeared.

Chris's eyes widened.

Kristen crossed her arms, looking down at the ground.

I was in trouble.

I slowly turned around. A handsome, tall boy was glowering down at me. His hands were balled into fists, and his brown eyes were narrowed. His red lips were turned downwards, and his black eyebrows furrowed into a frown. His olive-colored face was slightly tilted down, so his jet black hair obscured his broad forehead. That, and the way his defined jaw tensed up made him look even creepier than Josh usually did.

"What did you do?" he demanded.

I sucked in a breath. "Nothing... I just let the girls who you think are cute know."

Josh's eyes narrowed even more. "What?"

I pursed my lips. "Thanks for placing me in the top three, by the way. Kristen also appreciates you adding her to the list."

Josh turned scarlet red. With anger or embarrassment, I don't know. Maybe a little bit of both? "You saw that?!"

I shrugged. "Hard not to when you leave your account signed in."

Josh pushed me away, and plumped down on the chair.

"Don't worry, I already signed out," I informed him.

Josh quickly logged in, and his mouth dropped open at the status update I'd made. To my surprise, nearly everybody had already commented. He quickly deleted the status, but the deed was already done.

Chris face-palmed.

"You!" he groaned, glaring at me. "You're gonna pay."

I shrugged. "Yeah, right."

He stood up, and was ready to grab me from the collar of my shirt, when Chris interfered.

"Okay, calm down, dude," he soothed.

"How could you let that happen?" he questioned Chris.

"Kids! Silent!" the librarian exclaimed, eyeing us sternly.

Josh glared. "You'll get it from me, too."

Chris grimaced.

"Oh, come on," I began. "Leave them out of this. My hands were the ones who published that."

He shook his head. "You'll see."

With one more menacing glare, he pushed past me and stomped out the library.

I snorted, but I was a bit shaken up, though I hate to admit it.

Chris glared at me. "Do you see what you've done?"

"Please," I replied. "It was an empty threat. No harm will be made."

Chris shook his head.

I looked down, slightly unsettled. Last year, some kid had gotten on his bad side. Josh's bullying was so much, that he had to drop out. But he wouldn't do that to me, right? After all, I am a girl... and the principal's daughter.

Trying to stop thinking of the possible consequences, I shook my head. "Chris, I heard Cam was having a concert?"

Kristen perked up at this.

Chris still looked shaken up by the Josh thing. But he ignored it. "Yeah, I forgot to tell you. This Saturday he's playing some 80's songs in a café nearby."

"80's songs?" Kristen chimed in, her eyes sparkling.

Chris nodded. "Fan of the oldies?"

She grinned. "Totally."

"Me too," Chris replied.

I raised my eyebrows. "Alrighty then... I guess we're invited?"

"The whole eleventh grade is. If some other grades want to drop by, they're more than welcome," Chris replied, nodding.

I smiled. "Perfect, we can go as a group, then."

Chris shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

I wrapped my arms around each, sighing. "I can already smell a tight friendship, guys."

Chris smiled, Kristen giggled.

* * *

**Alright, so I know some of you wanted Massie's POV. But these first five chapters (wow, so many already? :P) were primarily to introduce you to the main characters. Now that they have been, and some of their 'adventures', we could say, have been hinted, the next chapters I'm going to divide them in different POVs. I'll try to have the five girls' POVs, but if I can't, expect at least three of them. **

**It's too early to ask, but do you have any favorite characters so far? Some of them will change, and others will stay the same. Stay tuned to find out :P**

**HINT: The concert will trigger a lot of important events ;)**


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